Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 43.49° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Mon Nov 6 2023 at a distance of 1.184162 Astronomical Units, or 177,148,157 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) at epoch 30 September 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460218.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.97597290 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 20.42341784° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.06155253 AU 158,805,999 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
87.30138993 AU 13,060,102,069 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
44.18147123 AU 6,609,454,034 km |
| Orbital period | period |
293.6760 years 107,265.1606 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Oct-15 12:00:52 2,460,233.0006 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2317-Jun-21 15:52 2,567,498.1612 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 78.507012223681° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 230.73194326925° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.95133350316° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00335617°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 14 | 05h 35m 44s | +16° 01’ 03” | 24.83 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 05h 35m 56s | +15° 58’ 06” | 24.84 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 05h 36m 06s | +15° 55’ 07” | 24.84 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 05h 36m 16s | +15° 52’ 07” | 24.85 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 05h 36m 25s | +15° 49’ 07” | 24.86 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 05h 36m 32s | +15° 46’ 04” | 24.86 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 20 | 05h 36m 39s | +15° 43’ 01” | 24.87 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 21 | 05h 36m 45s | +15° 39’ 57” | 24.87 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 22 | 05h 36m 50s | +15° 36’ 52” | 24.88 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 23 | 05h 36m 54s | +15° 33’ 47” | 24.89 | Orion |
| 2024 Sep 24 | 05h 36m 57s | +15° 30’ 39” | 24.89 | Orion |
| 2024 Sep 25 | 05h 37m 00s | +15° 27’ 31” | 24.90 | Orion |
| 2024 Sep 26 | 05h 37m 01s | +15° 24’ 23” | 24.91 | Orion |
| 2024 Sep 27 | 05h 37m 01s | +15° 21’ 13” | 24.91 | Orion |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2023 S2 (ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.